The Science Department at SMCC invites you to a series of free seminars open to the general public:

Sept 25th - Lynda Doughty and Lorraine Bisson,
Maine Department of Marine Resources
Moving up the food chain: From Plankton to Whales, From Student to Scientist

Oct 23th - Jon Grabowski, Ph.D.
Gulf of Maine Research Institute
Can lobsters and Cod Coexist in the Gulf of Maine?

Nov 27th - Lisa Estey, Ph.D.
IDEXX Laboratories
Development of Diagnostic Tests for Mad Cow and other Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies

Jan 29th - Lucy Liaw, Ph.D.
Maine Medical Center Research Institute
Using Mouse Genetics to Study Human Diseases

Feb 26th - Chuck Gregory, Ph.D.
Southern Maine Community College
My Teacher at Sea Internship: A Hydrographic Survey of Lower New York Harbor on NOAA's Shark

March 25th - Eric Hazelton
University of Southern Maine
Invasion of the Clones: Native and Introduced Phragmites australis

April 29th - Joe Payne
Baykeeper, Friends of Casco Bay
Nitrogen, It Will Be the Death of Us: Nitrogen Pollution in Maine and Around the Country

All seminars are Tuesday nights from 5:30 - 6:30 PM
Jewett Auditorium, Jewett Hall, SMCC, South Portland

LorraineBisson was hired by the Maine Dept. of Marine Resources to work in their marine mammal program. This summer she participated on a NOAA right whale cruise in the Gulf of Maine (see pictures). Lorraine is now working on a right whale food utilization study designed to assess the abundance and distribution of right whale food organisms in state waters. She will also be taking classes at the University of Southern Maine to complete her Bachelor's Degree.

Labels: Lorraine (second from left) engaged in strenuous shipboard activities

The Science Department is purchasing several pieces of equipment to expand the capabilities of Seatime students. We have ordered a high definition underwater video camera with gps overlay for conducting quantitative transect surveys of benthic organisms and a YSI sonde with dissolved oxygen, pH, conductivity and turbidity probes. The sonde will allow students to increase the number of vertical profile stations they can perform. The emphasis in our Seatime program is to map subtidal habitats in western Casco Bay and collect baseline oceanographic and biological data.